Panic or Press On? Adams Out With Spasms

According to CSN’s Jim Salisbury, Mike Adams sat out of yesterday’s finale with the Diamondbacks due to back spasms. Salisbury states Adams informed the team in the sixth inning and will be day-to-day. The issue is only anticipated to last a few days and might explain why Adams’s last seven outings where he wasn’t quite himself (4.50 ERA, .304/.407/.478 against). However, back spasms are a tricky thing, especially when a disc is aggravated or a nerve is being pinched. After a successful 4-3 road trip against two of the top teams in the NL West, how worried are you that this could derail the positive developments?

Justin De Fratus was quietly added to the roster on Saturday and looked phenomenal on Sunday against the only batter he faced, NL All-Star candidate Paul Goldschmidt. De Fratus went right at the righty and struck him out in the ninth inning to keep the game knotted at two. De Fratus has undoubtedly earned his call-up, posting a 1.89 ERA in 19 IP with 17 Ks for Lehigh Valley and appears ready to take the reigns. If he continues to pitch like this until the Phillies need a fifth starter, the panic will be lessened and he may even convince the Phillies to send down or designate someone else. Don’t answer the phone, Chad Durbin (6.17 ERA, 1.8 WHIP, 5.4 BB/ 9 IP).

Will De Fratus be enough to cover for Adams? Are you about to panic or are you ready to press on?

He really is awful. That 9 inherited runners scored out of 15 for 60% that you mentioned happened to be EXACTLY the number that Chad Qualls allowed in his 35 appearances with the Phillies last season! In Qualls’ 31.1 innings of work he allowed 9 of the 15 inherited runners to score, Durbin has accomplished that in just 11.2 innings! Just imagine what he could accrue if Charlie keeps giving him the ball.

De Fratus is trustworthy to slide into Aumont’s role, Aumont can temporarily take Adams’ spot and Stutes (6 straight scoreless appearances for Triple-A) is just about ready for a return to the big league roster.

Here is my take, as answer to your inquiry Scott. They take a 23 year old kid with very little major league experience, and bring him up. Then they throw him into one of the hottest, pressure cooker situations possible, against the D’backs best hitter. Yes it was only one out, and the kid has a long way to go to prove his mettle, but the situation the kid handled is what makes it phenomenal. You may not agree and that is your right, but that’s the way I saw it.

Scott, you are NOT flippant (great word my mom used to call me about a century ago.) You are correct. One cannot look phenomenal when pitching to just one batter.
I have yet to panic. Just chewing the dickens out of my nails.

Stutes has been showing good signs at Lehigh Valley and DeFratus handled the pressure on Sunday. Horst was effective on the road trip and Durbin looked okay in San Francisco. This is something the Phillies should be able to handle.

In the case of Halladay, one might wonder, but with Adams, I can say from long experience that back issues can appear suddenly, and although he had some problems in a game or two, it’s pure conjecture and very unfair to say that his back was bothering him then and he should have told someone. It’s just as likely his issue for those games was a high workload or just a bad day, and that the back spasms WERE indicated to the staff so he wouldn’t have to try to pitch injured.

I get a little miffed when peope pass judgements without knowing what’s really going on. Sure, maybe sometimes they’re right, but many times they aren’t.

I’ll add, too, that I’d bet dollars to donuts that many people besides athletes try to perform while impaired, whether it’s to keep his job or impress his girlfriend, or just to win a stupid bet.

A much greater concern is the loss of Halladay for a good part of the season (we will have a better idea on that after his surgery this Wednesday). I don’t think the team can contend in the division with both Pettibone and Lannan in rotation. Especially when the offense shows no sign of life and must resort to “smallball” in scratching for a run.